Real Estate Investor · chicago, IL · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 231 votes
I have spent the last 3 weekends picking up tons of trash. The last time, I found a condom (didn't dare pick that up).
I have spoken to HOA about it; they pickup the littering every once in a while; i spoke to code enforcement. They made the HOA pickup some trash but said I need to get with them.
It's mostly kids throwing fast food, candy wrappers.
They suggested I speak to HOA about putting trash cans near the sidewalk & bike path. I also suggested to HOA "no littering signs" & to put fines for no littering in the newletter.
Also, there's one unit that consistently throws their empty alcohol bottles on the grass (last weekend was brandy; week before a smashed bottle of tequila).
Sounds like you have a broken window theory issue. The problem with investing in blighted neighborhoods is that your standard of living is vastly different to those of the people causing the blight. It is very difficult to make that change based on your desires. The more vocal you are the more others will fight back. The only thing that you can do is accept the fact that you have problem neighbors. In my experience, which is extensive, all you can do is pick up the trash. On larger properties that I have been involved in we put a property manager in who was friendly with the community and that helps. If there is a strong community leader, such as a minister or political leader, getting them involved may help as well. In Atlanta they have NPU’s – Neighborhood Planning Units, becoming involved with them allows you the access to the people that can really bring about the change. My standard operating procedure is to drive by the properties I may be interested in between 1am & 3am; this is when the undesirable issues are taking place.
The police would probably just laugh at you, but you could ask the HOA if they would call the police to step up patrols in the area for a while as you are concerned about potential for vandalism, etc., with all the alcohol bottles and litter and don't want it escalating. Probably won't do it unless there actually was reports of cars being broken into or something. At the park near our house, we moved a big trash can right where all the kids dump their beer bottles, fast food wrappers, cigarette butts, etc., and it didn't help one bit. They completely ignored it, threw their garbage in the woods right beside the trash can. Morons.
Sounds like you have a broken window theory issue. The problem with investing in blighted neighborhoods is that your standard of living is vastly different to those of the people causing the blight. It is very difficult to make that change based on your desires. The more vocal you are the more others will fight back. The only thing that you can do is accept the fact that you have problem neighbors. In my experience, which is extensive, all you can do is pick up the trash. On larger properties that I have been involved in we put a property manager in who was friendly with the community and that helps. If there is a strong community leader, such as a minister or political leader, getting them involved may help as well. In Atlanta they have NPU’s – Neighborhood Planning Units, becoming involved with them allows you the access to the people that can really bring about the change. My standard operating procedure is to drive by the properties I may be interested in between 1am & 3am; this is when the undesirable issues are taking place.
Can you change the behavior of your tenants? If it’s a management problem, it’s going to be tough. If it’s a cultural problem, it’s going to be tougher.
If you really think you can lick the problem, determine if the trash gets deposited during certain hours (i.e., after school, weekends) and hire a custodian. Note the offenders, cite them with a 3 day notice, they will protest that it’s not their kids’ or their trash, and replace them. They are replaceable, are they not?